Water-gage.



'l No. 870,020.

APPLIGATION FILED APRA, 1007.

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No. 870,026. PATENTED' NOV. 5, 1907. H. R. PAY. WATER GAGE.

APPLIOATION rum APB. 1, 1907 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@WWU dwf HENRY R. FAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed April 1i 1907. Serial No. 365634:.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. FAY, a citizen oi the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Gages, or'which the l'ollowing is a specilication.

This invention relates to water-gages l'or application to steam-boilers,and it relates particularly to mechanism whereby when the glass becomesbroken by accident or otherwise the valves admitting the steam and thewater both automatically close, preventing the inrusli or' steam orwater, a constrriction whereby a plurality of water-glasses are providedon a single base, and to certain other details of construction,all asfully described below, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:-

Figure 1 is a View of a double water-gage embodying my invention,v oneof the gages on the common base being shown in elevation, and the otherin vertical section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2,Fig. l.. Fig'. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 4. Fig.4 is a vertical section taken on line 4 4, Fig. 2, one ot' the gagesbeing represented as with its glass broken. Fig. 5 is a plan view of oneof the glands removed.

Similar characters or' relerence indicate corresponding parts.

Reference numeral 5 represents a base prvoidcd with a horizontalinlet-passage 6 for water, which leads to and connects with a chamber 7.At 8 (Fig. 3) there is a valve-seat against which a valve 9 may beforced by the hand-wheel 10 rigid on the outer end oi the valve-stem 11which is screw-threaded at 12 to engage with the internally threadedportion 13 oi the hollow base 5. The chamber' 7 is provided with twodiagonally opposite extensions 14, exactly alike, each having a fiatfloor 15 and a curved outer wall 16. From the fiat floor next said wallthe bottom is beveled or sloped up, as indicated at 17 in Figs. 1, 4 and3, in order to prevent a ball 18 which is free on the flat door 15 fromrolling against the curved wall and catching at any point, for thepurpose explained below.

19 represents an ordinary drip-meclranisin ior removing the water fromthe chamber in the base when desired.

Directly over the two extensiori-chambers 14 are threaded vertical holes2O into which are screwed the srrpports for the lower' ends of twowater-glasses or gages, exactly alike in every respect. As a descriptionof one describes the other', their corresponding parts are provided withsimilar' reference-numerals. Screwed into each threaded portion 20 isthe lower externally threaded end 21 ot' a nut whose shorrlder 22 restson the base 5, and whose upper broadened portion 23 is internallyscrew-threaded. A second shoulder 24 reduces the vertical passage in thenut to a diameter less than that oi the ball 18 whereby the lower end 25ol` said passage constitutes a valve-seat for said ball'.

Screwed into the upper end of the portion 23 oi each nut is the loweroppositely slotted end of the metallic tube 26 (the vertical section inFigs. 1 and 4 being taken through the opposite vertical slots 27therein) said tribe 26 being provided with the usual vertical window 28through which the water-glass or tube 29 can be seen. The lower' end oithis glass 29 extends into the portion 21 oi the counterbored nut abovethe shoulderl 24.

Resting on the shoulder 22 is a ierrule 30 which surrounds thc glass andwhose lower end is provided with an internal flange or step 31, andsupported by this step is a rrrbberjor elastic washer or bushing 32. Thelower end of a gland 33 extends into the ripper end of the ferrrile 30,around the glass, and on the brishing, being held in position andpressed on said bushing by a locknut 35 on the threaded lower end oi themetallic tube or case 26, said lock-nrrt pressing against lrigs 34,which extend from the upper end oi the gland through the slots 27.

The upper end oi each tube 26 and glass 29 is provided with reverselyplaced parts similar to those above described, viz., a lock-nut 36corresponding with the lock-nut 35, a gland 37, 33 corresponding withthe gland 33, 34 and sliding in slots 39 in the ripper end of the tube26 corresponding with the slots 27 in the lower end, a bushing 40 andl'errule 41, 42 corresponding with the bushing 32 and i'errrile 30, 31,and a counterbored nrit 43, 44, corresponding with the nrit 21, 22, 23,the ripper' end of the nut 43, 44, 45 being provided with a port orvalve-seat 46. The ripper externally threaded end of the portion 43 ofthis nrit is engaged by the internally threaded portion oi a tribe 47provided with an annular flange 48 which rests on the outer shoulder 44oi the nut. The upper end of said tube 47 is externally threaded at 49and thus connected by a suitable union 50 with the steam in the boiler.

Within each tribe 47 is a winged valve 51 which is adapted by its radialwings to slide vertically in said tribe. Inside the glass tube 26 is achain 52, whose links are of such a size as to fit slidingly thereinwithout doubling or crumpling up. The lowest link in the chain isprovided with a .metallic rod 53 of length to rest normally on the floor15 of the extension chamber 14, said rod 53 extending through the lowerend or port of the nrit 21, 23. The highest link in the chain isconnected to a rod 54 which extends up and connects at its upper endwith the valve 5l..

When the glass is whole and rinbroken, the chain is held in line withoutits links doribling and hence without the chain contracting, becausesaid links are large enough to fit slidingly in and practically fill theglass,

and hence the rod 54 holds the valve 5l up away from its seat 46,allowing the admission of steam, and the lower end of the rod 53 touchesand rests on the floor l5, keeping the ball one side and away from theseat 25, and allowing the admission oi water into the lower end of theglass. The normal position of these parts is illustrated in Figs. l and3 and in full lines in Fig. 4. Should the glass tube 26 become broken,as illustrated in the leit end of Fig. 4, the chain 52 crumples up bythe rush oi steam from above and the water from below when the walls ofthe tube break away from it, forcing the valve 5l to its seat 46 andclosing the port at that point and preventing the admission of moresteam, and the rod 53 is lifted by the in-rush of the water, allowingthe ball to be forced by the water against its seat 25, closing theWater-inlet, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

A coil of wire 55 is spirally disposed around each tube or caso 26 forthe purpose of preventing or limiting the flying oi glass when the glasstube breaks.

The arrangement oi the rubber bushing7 the glands and the ferrulcsprevents strain on the glass and cramping of the packing.

It is evident that by providing the base with a plurality ofwater-gages, or rather with the vertical portions of water-gages, avperfectly working gage is left when one becomes broken.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent7 is:

l. In a watengage, a waterglass; a chain tting slidingly in andsubstantially filling said glass; a base provided \\'ith a chamber andhaving an inlet-passage leading to said chamber and a passage connectedwith the lower end of the glass; a wire or rod extending from the lowerend of the chain normally to the floor of said chamber; and a ball onsaid i'loor held normally by the Wire or rod away from the passageconnected with the glass, whereby the breaking of the glass will allowthe nrush ot' water to raise the wire or rod, crumple up the chain andforce the ball against the passage leading to the glass, closing saidDlSSdgC.

2. In a water-gage, a water-glass; a ,chain fitting sliding-ly in andsubstantially filling said glass; a base provided with a chamber andhaving an inlet-passage leading to said chamber; a case surrounding theglass; tubular connections intermediate of the case and base supportingthe glass and connecting the glass and case with the chamber in the basea wire or rod extending from the lower end of the chain through saidconnections normally to the iioor of the chamber and a ball on saidfloor held by the wire or rod normally away from the passage connectingwith the glass, whereby the breaking of the glass will allow the inrushof water to raise-the wire or rod, crumple up the chain and force theball against the passage leading to the glass, closing said passage.

3. In a water-gage, a water-glass; a chain fitting slidingly in andsubstantially filling said glass; a base provided with a chamber andhaving an inlet-passage leading to said chamber and a passage connectedwith the lower end of the glass; a wire or rod extending from the lowerend of the chain normally to the floor of the chamber; a ball on saidoor held normally by the wire or rod away from the passage connectingwith the lower end of the glass; a steam-inlet valve above and connectedby a passage with the upper end of the glass; and a rod or wireconnecting the upper end of the chain with said valve and holding itnormally above and away from its seat, whereby the breaking of the glasswill allow the chain to crumple up and the ball and upper valve to bedriven to their seats by the water and steam, shutting off the supplythereof.

4. In a water-gage, a water-glass; a case surrounding the glass andprovided at its ends with opposite longitudinal slots; a chain fittingslidingly in and substantially till ing said glass a base provided witha water-inlet passage, a chamber, an outlet port and a valvecounterbored nuts at opposite ends of the glass and case and screwinginto said base and connecting with the .port therein at the lower endsof the glass and case; a suitable union connecting with the said nut atthe upper ends of the glass and case and provided with a valve connectedwith the upper end of the chain; elastic bushings surrounding the glassat its opposite ends; ferrules surrounding the bushings within thecounterbored nuts; and glands surrounding the glass and extendingagainst the bushings, said glands being provided with lugs which areadapted to slide in the slots in the opposite ends of the case, thevalves being forced to close automatically by the pressure of steam andwater when the .glass breaks and the chain is allowed to crumple up.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY R. FAS. Witnesses HENRY W. WILLIAMS, M. A. A'iwoon.

